Just Don't Die
by Pachowable
Summary: Bruce had been too late to save Jason and now Dick as he watches the explosion realizes that he was too late to save Tim too. Spoilers for Invasion


**A/N: I went on a whole rant on my Tumblr about this situation and the episode. I'm PinkFlyingBunny if you want to read it. Nightwing's line stuck out in my mind. The allusion to Jason was enough to make me freak out. Personally, I'm excited for this season and Timmy. Please review! (Spoilers for Invasion)  
**

Just Don't Die

He couldn't let this happen.

_Just don't die._

The words echoed in his mind and gave him a bitter taste in his mouth. Of course, he was thinking about Jason Todd, his little brother that died too young and didn't get to live long enough. The reference held in the air just a bit too long. He could see the shadow cross over Tim's face. The shock of the general statement and the hidden threat that he was walking on very thin ice being Robin so soon after Jason's death.

Tim had potential, though, and it was hard for Dick and Bruce to ignore Tim's persistence to join Batman's side. The boy put up a good argument. He was smarter than Dick—easily—and maybe, given time, Bruce too. The fourteen-year-old boy had figured out who was Batman and Robin—when Dick was still Robin. The boy also had a way with words. He managed to convince Bruce to take him in as Robin. That alone, after Jason's death, was a huge feat that he should be proud of.

_And Gamma?_

_ Yeah, about them…uh…well they ran into some difficulties._

Wondergirl nearly got whiplash from how fast he turned the supercycle around.

_Elaborate._

_They found the motherbase. I told them not to engage, but it seems they had no choice._

_ You mean that Robin is in there with hundreds of aliens?_

_ With Blue Beetle and Lagoon Boy._

_ It doesn't change anything._

Dick had been the one to send Tim on that mission. He had even specifically made sure that Tim had gotten the easier gig. It was just a trash place. It wasn't supposed to be where the whole race had set up shop.

Tim was ready for this, but…Dick wasn't ready to risk losing Tim like he had already lost Jason. Jason had been his brother even though Jason had always been not so…_open_. Jason was always closed off. Having lived on the streets for so long, Jason wasn't used to having people be, well, nice to him. Life had always been a competition for Jason. Tim was just glad to have a family that talked to him and actually paid attention to him.

Tim had warmed up to Bruce and Dick faster than Jason ever had because Jason had had a family before they died, and Tim never really connected with his family. It was obvious through the boy's awkward moments, and it was obvious to Dick that the boy just never talked to anyone about anything because he didn't have anyone.

Jason had only been on the team a short time, but he had definitely made an impression. Whether it was good or bad depended on the person—Roy found Jason absolutely entertaining while Wally had been annoyed by the boy's sass and competitive nature. It took Tim a while to warm up to the team. He had only been on the team for almost a month, so it wasn't really that surprising, but it again showcased Tim's difficulties of just being social. He mainly stuck to talking to Dick or Cassie or Jaime.

They were finally approaching the garbage dump that was where the apparent base of the aliens. It looked so normal. Dick should have figured that they would have chosen this place to be the main operations of the aliens. He should have been smarter.

Nothing could have prepared Dick for seeing the explosion.

The mushroom cloud billowed up into the sky as the whole dump exploded.

_No._

This wasn't happening.

It almost felt like watching the tapes of the building that Jason had died in except for this time it was Tim and Dick was right there watching it happen. He could almost imagine Bruce going down and searching through the wreckage to find another body of one of his protégés. Dick would be there right beside him. But the explosion was too fiery and big. There was no way that Tim's body was still in one piece

He was too late. Now he understands what Bruce means when he mutters that he was too late. Bruce had been too late to save Jason. Dick had been too late to save Tim.

There was a moment when he debated on jumping out of the cycle to go find Tim, but there was no hope. He had let Tim die just like Jason. Bruce would be a wreck, not to mention Dick too.

_Just don't die._

Why had he said that? It was almost like he was asking for this to turn out this way. He had jinxed Tim. He should have responded to the call faster. He should have saved Tim. He should have been there. He should have been faster.

When Tim's head popped up out of the water, Dick nearly jumped out of the cycle to hug Tim—Tim was certainly going to receive a hug attack from Dick once they got back to the cave. Tim looked up at Dick and looked upset with himself. He was probably upset because Tim _knew_ that he had just nearly died exactly like Jason. The look in his eyes was disappointment. Tim was always too hard on himself, but he had done exactly what Dick had told him to do.

_ Just don't die._


End file.
